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Max Towers / Max DudlerSave this picture!© Stefan MüllerResidential Architecture, Residential•Aesch, Switzerland Architects: Max Dudler Area Area of this architecture project Area:  26500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Stefan MüllerMore SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. The two Max Towers are the centerpiece of the residential and commercial quarter Aere, taking shape in the former industrial district of Stöcklin, which spreads between Reinach and Aesch south of Basel. The tower volumes, roughly 40 meters high, are striking for the continuous balconies that surround each level over a recessed ground floor. The girdle of balconies merges the urban flair of high-rise living with the qualities of generous garden space associated with a family house.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The tectonic arrangement is completed on the outside by a mantle of solid columns with cornices integrated into monolithic ceilings. The inner façade behind these constitutes a second skin, benefiting from greater liberty as it steps forward and back to generate an efficient footprint. This meandering balcony zone enlivens the relationship between indoors and outdoors while serving as a filter and as a layer of flexible space.Save this picture!Save this picture!The entrance hallways in Tower 2 create an arrival zone and link the public space outside with the central garden that forms an open yet shielded hub for the new quarter.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Aesch, SwitzerlandLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMax DudlerOffice••• MaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on June 06, 2025Cite: "Max Towers / Max Dudler" 06 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030845/max-towers-max-dudler&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Posted on : May 29, 2025 By Tech World Times Technology  Rate this post Cat6 cables are a common choice for both office and home networks. They provide data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps at a distance of nearly 55 meters. Cat6 has a bandwidth of 250 MHz and can manage important data loads. This makes them suitable for online gaming and HD video streaming. These cables are suitable for traditional Cat5e infrastructure. It provides a versatile option for updating networks without repairing current hardware. The main benefits include compatibility with previous standards, good for small and home office use, and cost-effectiveness. Cat8 shows the latest ethernet technology, providing important enhancements over their predecessors. They have a bandwidth of up to 2000 MHz and a data transfer speed reaching 25-40 Gbps. Cat8 cables are created for high-performance apps over small distances (up to 30 meters). These cables are immensely shielded to reduce interference, making them suitable for public settings, server rooms, data centers, and other commercial ecosystems where reliable and high-speed connections are important. The main benefits include that it is best for data centers and commercial apps, superior shielding for lesser interference, and ultra-fast speeds of up to 40 Gbps. Selecting the correct Ethernet cable, whether cat6 or cat8, leveraging a variety of factors entailing budget, environment, and performance requirements. Keeping this scenario under consideration, we are presenting some factors that will help you select between cat6 and cat8. Performance Requirements The main factor when selecting between cat6 and cat8 is the performance of network requirements. Cat6 cables can manage routine tasks like file transfers, video streaming, and web browsing, with speeds of about 10 Gbps over a distance of 55 meters. This makes them sufficient for office or home setups. nevertheless, for data-intensive apps like server connections, huge data transfers, and 4k/8k video editing. Cat8 cables are best suited, providing speeds up to 40 Gbps with lesser latency. Jacket Materials Cat6 cables generally utilize PVC jackets for indoor environments. This is done by providing fundamental protection against wear and abrasion. LLDPE jackets for outdoor installations offer UV resistance and enhanced water resistance, nevertheless, cat8 cables typically feature low smoke zero Halogen (LSZH) or plenum-rated jackets. This provides superior fire resistance and decreased toxic emissions. This makes them ideal for commercial buildings where safety is important. Shielding Cat6 cables can be featured in basic shielded or unshielded. This makes them suitable for lesser interference environments like offices and homes. On the contrary, cat8 cables are completely shielded with advanced options like individually shielded pairs and foil shielding. This makes cat8 optimal for ecosystems with high EMI, like data centers or industrial settings, where signal integrity is important. Environment Consider the operating environment of the cable. Cat8 cables excel in high-interference ecosystems because of their superior shielding. This maintains signal integrity by safeguarding EMI. This makes it ideal for ecosystems with heavy electronic noise, like industrial spaces and data centers. On the contrary, Cat6 cables are suitable for traditional indoor environments where there is lesser interface. This offers a more economical solution. Budget Cat6 cables are very affordable. This makes them a popular choice for small businesses and homes where ultra-high speeds are not important. Cat8 cables, while providing superior performance, come with a higher price tag because of their advanced shielding and capabilities. For the majority of the users, the extra cost of operating in demanding conditions. Conclusion Cat8 is superior to cat6 in terms of shielding, bandwidth, and speed. Cat8 is best suited for data-heavy ecosystems, like high-performance set-ups and data centers. Nevertheless, cat6 is sufficient for the majority of network uses at a lesser cost. Finally, the choice between cat6 and cat8 must rely on your budget considerations and the network’s demands.  Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

On Thursday evening, the Supreme Court handed down a brief order, which temporarily permits President Donald Trump to fire two federal officials who, by law, are shielded from being summarily terminated. That, in itself, is not particularly significant because, on April 9, Chief Justice John Roberts acted on his own authority to temporarily permit Trump to fire the same two officials. So the practical effect of Thursday’s order in Trump v. Wilcox is simply to maintain the status quo.That said, the Thursday order does contain some important new information from the Court’s Republican majority. While the Republican justices have signaled for quite some time that they are eager to give the president broad authority to fire officials that Congress intended to insulate from presidential control, the order includes a paragraph signaling that they will not allow Trump to fire members of the Federal Reserve.From a legal perspective, the paragraph is difficult to parse. And, as Justice Elena Kagan writes in a dissenting opinion, is not supported by the legal authority it cites. But it is likely to reassure investors that, while the Supreme Court does appear eager to expand Trump’s authority over previously independent parts of the federal government, it won’t permit him to disrupt the Fed’s ability to make technocratic decisions about interest rates. The immediate stakes in Wilcox involve a former member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which enforces labor laws and adjudicates union-related disputes, along with a former member of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which hears disputes claiming that a civil servant’s employment protections were violated. Trump fired both shortly after taking office, despite the fact that federal law only permits them to be fired for some sort of neglect or malfeasance.The NLRB and the MSPB, moreover, are just two of an array of “independent” agencies led by multi-member boards, whose members all enjoy similar employment protections – agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Reserve.For at least 15 years, when the Court handed down Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Board (2010), a majority of the justices have signaled that they are eager to strip Congress of its authority to create such independent agencies, and give the president full authority to fire these agencies’ leaders at will. Many economists and investors, meanwhile, have warned that it would be particularly dangerous to strip the Federal Reserve — which is supposed to set interest rates based on delicate economic calculations and not based on what will benefit the sitting president — of its independence, as doing so could throw the US economy into chaos.Thursday’s order is a clear signal that the Court has heard these concerns and does not intend to eliminate the Fed’s independence. It is unlikely to satisfy many constitutional scholars, as its explanation for why Federal Reserve leaders should be treated differently than the leaders of any other independent agency is so baffling that it appears contrived. Regardless of the underlying reasoning, however, the order does strongly suggest that this Court will not give Trump full control over the Fed.The “unitary executive,” briefly explainedTrump v. Wilcox is the culmination of a longstanding grudge many Republican legal elites hold against Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), the Supreme Court case establishing that Congress may create independent agencies whose members may only be fired for cause. Though the leaders of these agencies are typically nominated by the president for a term of several years, and confirmed by the Senate, Humphrey’s Executor explained that laws protecting them from being fired while in office are supposed to ensure that they “act with entire impartiality,” and “exercise the trained judgment of a body of experts.”All six of the Court’s Republicans, however, have made it clear they believe in a theory known as the “unitary executive,” which is incompatible with Humphrey’s Executor.The Constitution provides that “the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” In a 1988 dissenting opinion, which many legal conservatives now treat as if it were a holy text, Justice Antonin Scalia argued that “this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power.” And thus, if a federal official is charged with executing federal laws in some way, they must be fully subject to presidential control.If you take this unitary executive theory seriously, then there should be no doubt that Federal Reserve governors may be fired at will by the president. The Fed’s authority over interest rates, after all, derives from federal statutes instructing it to pursue the dual goals of “maximum employment” and “stable prices.” So the Fed is charged with executing federal laws.But the consequences of stripping the Fed of its independence could be catastrophic. In 1971, President Richard Nixon pressured Fed chair Arthur Burns to lower interest rates in advance of Nixon’s reelection race — the idea was to juice the economy right while voters were weighing Nixon’s record — and Burns complied. In the short term, this worked out great for Nixon. The economy boomed in 1972, and Nixon won reelection by a historic landslide. But Burns’s action is often blamed for years of “stagflation,” slow economic growth combined with high inflation, in the 1970s.The Fed, in other words, has the power to effectively inject cocaine into the US economy – giving it a temporary boost that can be timed to benefit incumbent presidents, at the cost of much greater economic turmoil down the road. It’s not hard to see how presidents could abuse their power if they can fire members of the Federal Reserve who refuse to give the economy such a temporary and costly high.One might think that these risks would be enough to caution the justices against overruling Humphrey’s Executor. But the Republican justices appear quite committed to the unitary executive theory, and they have been that way for quite some time. (If you want to know more about why they feel this way, I can refer you to three separate explainers I’ve written on this subject.)And so those justices spend the bulk of Thursday’s Wilcox order laying out the process they are likely to use to formally overrule Humphrey’s Executor. The order announces that the Trump administration is “likely” to prevail in its bid to fire NLRB and MSPB officials, and it temporarily blocks lower court decisions that reinstated the two officials at issue in this case. But the Court puts off the question of whether to formally repudiate Humphrey’s Executor until after the ordinary appeals process plays out and the justices receive full briefing and oral argument on whether to do so — which could happen as soon as the Court’s next term.The Wilcox order’s language protecting the Fed is gobbledygookEmbedded within all this language laying out the process to challenge Humphrey’s Executor is the paragraph indicating that the Fed is safe. While the two fired officials “contend that arguments in this case necessarily implicate the constitutionality of for-cause removal protections for members of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors or other members of the Federal Open Market Committee,” the order states, “we disagree.”The justices who joined the order then offer a single sentence explaining why: “The Federal Reserve is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks of the United States.”It’s certainly possible to parse the components of this sentence. The description of the Fed as a “quasi-private entity,” for example, may refer to the fact that much of the Fed’s authority is wielded through regional entities, which are themselves controlled by board members who are mostly selected by commercial banks. But it is hardly unusual for members of the private sector to be given a formal role within government — just ask Elon Musk. Indeed, the Supreme Court heard at least two cases this spring involving the role experts from the private sector may play in setting government policy.The “First and Second Banks of the United States” are 18th- and early 19th-century predecessors to the Fed. The Supreme Court upheld Congress’s power to create national banks in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), but the nation abandoned national banking under President Andrew Jackson, setting off a period of economic turmoil, including an economic depression shortly after Jackson left office.But it’s unclear what any of this has to do with the president’s powers as outlined in the Constitution. If the theory of the unitary executive is correct, then no entity — regardless of whether it is “quasi-private” or is part of a “distinct historical tradition” involving banks — may execute federal laws, unless that entity is controlled by people who are themselves under presidential control. As a legal matter, the Court’s explanation of why the Fed is special is nothing more than word salad.The only legal authority that the Wilcox order cites to support its claim that the Fed is special is a footnote in its pro-unitary executive decision in Seila Law v. CFPB (2020). But nothing in that footnote provides any support for this claim.As Kagan points out in her dissent in Wilcox, the only relevant language in that footnote is a throwaway line responding to her partial dissent in Seila Law. Kagan had argued that “federal regulators” historically have enjoyed some insulation from the president. The footnote dismisses this argument, stating that even “assuming financial institutions like the Second Bank and the Federal Reserve can claim a special historical status,” the agency at issue in Seila Law does not qualify.The Court, in other words, waved away Kagan’s argument that institutions like the Fed should be shielded from presidential control in Seila Law. Now, however, the justices in the majority appear to be signaling they believe there is some merit to Kagan’s argument.If the Court does formally overrule Humphrey’s Executor in the coming months, the justices in the majority will likely elaborate on why a different rule should apply to the Fed. The best reading of the Wilcox order’s one paragraph about the Fed is that a majority of the justices have already decided that they want to protect it, and they would now like some smart lawyers to file briefs coming up with an argument for that position — one that uses terms like “quasi-private” and that refers to the early history of national banking.Of course, this is not how the law is supposed to work — judges are not supposed to start with the outcome that they want and then invite members of the bar to explain how to get there. But this also will hardly be the first time that the Roberts Court started with its intended outcome and reasoned backward to get there. It’s just being more transparent this time around.See More:

In 2025, no brand, regardless of its heritage or customer loyalty, is immune to cyber threats. This April, we saw a very public example of that when Marks & Spencer—one of Britain's most beloved high street retailers—fell victim to a series of cyberattacks. This wasn't just a shocking example of large-scale criminal activity. It was also a stark reminder of how quickly a brand's reputation can be placed in jeopardy. Three weeks after the attack, the retailer continues to grapple with its aftermath, with online orders still suspended and customer data compromised. So, what lessons does this offer to legacy brands navigating an increasingly treacherous digital landscape? We asked leaders from the creative industry for their thoughts. What happened? First, though, let's remind ourselves what actually happened. The trouble began over the Easter weekend when M&S experienced difficulties with contactless payments and click-and-collect orders. By 23 April, CEO Stuart Machin confirmed the company was dealing with a cyber incident, and two days later, M&S suspended all orders through its website. The attack has since been attributed to 'Scattered Spider', a splinter group of the hacking collective Lapsus$, which has previously targeted high-profile organisations, including Transport for London and MGM Resorts. The sophistication of the attack has left M&S struggling to restore normal operations even weeks later. Last Tuesday (13 May), the situation worsened when M&S revealed that personal customer data had been stolen in the breach. The compromised information could include telephone numbers, home addresses, dates of birth and online order histories. While the retailer emphasised that no usable payment details or account passwords were taken, the incident has raised serious concerns about identity fraud for its customers. The financial impact has also been substantial, with analysis from Bank of America Global Research estimating that the retailer is losing approximately £43 million per week in sales. Moreover, M&S is reportedly preparing to make a cyber insurance claim that could total as much as £100 million. How has it damaged the brand? For a legacy retailer like M&S, though, the impact extends far beyond immediate losses. The sustained disruption has placed significant strain on customer loyalty and trust, two cornerstones of its long-established brand identity. salarko - stock.adobe.com With an estimated 9.4 million active online customers affected, the scale of the reputational damage is immense. The company's inability to process online orders for weeks has not only frustrated customers but also raised questions about its digital preparedness. "This should act as a stark reminder for other brands of the importance of building brand resilience," says Dave Mayer, senior partner for marketing and customer strategy at Lippincott. "While hacks are more frequent than ever, this sustained attack and suspension of online ordering has placed a significant strain on customer loyalty for the brand." The importance of brand equity in a crisis At the same time, there is some good news for the retailer. "Our research tells us that M&S is a 'comfort' brand, a brand loved by its customers," Dave points out. "And comfort brands are usually forgiven when things go wrong." Here's where the importance of brand equity comes in. "For M&S, the ability to bounce back from crises like these hasn't been built overnight," Dave notes. "It comes from the consistent implementation of long-term brand-building techniques to boost affinity, trust and loyalty with their customers. Coupled with open and honest communication, M&S has chartered these turbulent waters with success thus far." Sue Benson, founder and CEO of The Behaviours Agency, agrees that M&S appears to be weathering the storm better than many would expect. "The attack has undoubtedly caused disruption and impacted sales, but brand trust has remained remarkably stable," she explains. "This resilience speaks to M&S's legacy and long-standing reputation, which appear to have shielded it from long-term damage. "From a behavioural science perspective, the principle of reciprocity is key: M&S's history of delivering customer satisfaction is now being repaid with trust and loyalty. Lesser-known brands may not have been shown the same grace." Crisis management: communication as a key tool That doesn't mean, of course, that things aren't extremely challenging for M&S right now. "In these moments, brand management must shift gears rapidly," says Lewis Jones, managing partner at Coley Porter Bell. "Transparency becomes a brand's most powerful tool. The design and delivery of information, rooted in the clear expression of a brand's values, is vital." He stresses that the message itself and the way information is delivered are critical. "If a crisis hub is hard to find, visually inconsistent, the tone of voice is unsympathetic and off-brand, or updates are buried in poorly structured pages, the brand's reliability erodes further. Strong brand design can bring order to chaos, signpost clarity, reinforce identity, offer reassurance in a moment of doubt, and maintain consumer confidence." chrisdorney - stock.adobe.com In short, this is no time to innovate or start changing the brand's story. As Charlotte Black, chief strategy officer at Saffron Brand Consultants, says: "What's critical is returning to the original commitments brands have made to customers and delivering communications in that same style. A crisis is no time to deviate." So far, it seems that M&S has been following such advice, with CEO Stuart Machin personally communicating with customers about the breach. In his statement, he acknowledged that "unfortunately, some personal customer information has been taken" while reassuring customers that there was "no evidence that the information has been shared". The company has also taken proactive steps by emailing all website users, prompting customers to reset account passwords "for extra peace of mind," and reporting the case to relevant authorities. This approach aligns with what Charlotte describes as "staying true to its distinctive brand voice, with a flexible tone that effectively matches the circumstance." Learning from past examples Of course, M&S isn't the first brand to fall victim to criminal actions, and there are valuable lessons to be drawn from previous incidents. Sue points, for example, to British Airways' response to its 2018 data breach as an example of how to do things right. "Full-page apologies leaned on transparency and the honesty bias, reducing uncertainty and reinforcing sincerity," she recalls. "BA also tackled loss aversion by reassuring customers and outlining preventive measures, something M&S would do well to follow." As M&S works to restore its systems and services, the focus will ultimately shift from crisis management to rebuilding customer confidence. Dave recommends that "beyond better cybersecurity, M&S will benefit from continuing its communication with its shoppers and working to rebuild the goodwill it's just drawn down, with a thank-you to current and recently lapsed shoppers." Five key lessons Here are five essential lessons for legacy brands facing similar crises. 1. Invest in brand resilience before crisis strikes: As Lewis puts it, "Trust isn't built in a single moment. It's the result of years of consistent investment in the brand and the development of well-managed brand systems across the entire business." 2. Maintain authentic communication: Charlotte emphasises that brands must communicate in line with their established values and voice. "Defining and living up to brand values and having a clear voice with an adaptable tone is how brands weather these sorts of storms," she reasons. 3. Deploy transparency as a strategic tool: Lewis highlights how the delivery of information in a crisis is critical: "This is where brand values, expression, and UX come into their own." So, clear, accessible, and empathetic communication about what happened, what the company is doing about it, and how customers might be affected is essential. 4. Acknowledge the impact on customers: It's crucial to recognise and address customer frustrations directly. Sue notes how "with online sales still paused after 17 days, customer frustration is rising. M&S must not rest on its laurels". 5. Use crisis as a catalyst for improvement: Dave suggests that recovery should include not just fixing the immediate problem but strengthening the brand's overall value proposition. For M&S, this means considering "new ways to not only be loved but also provide products and services that shoppers can't get anywhere else". Conclusion The M&S cyberattack serves as a powerful case study of how legacy brands can leverage their heritage and customer loyalty during times of crisis. While the incident has undoubtedly damaged the retailer financially and operationally, the brand's deep reserves of trust have provided a cushion that many newer companies would not enjoy. As Charlotte puts it: "This is when 'brand' becomes a real asset. If a business has the right foundational tools in place, it has the guidance it needs to navigate both good times and bad." The lesson is clear: brand building is not just about driving sales during good times; it's about creating resilience for the inevitable storms. The true test of a legacy brand is not whether it can avoid crises altogether but how effectively it can deploy its accumulated trust and goodwill when disaster strikes. In a world where cyber threats continue to evolve in sophistication, this resilience is not merely advantageous; it's essential. The M&S case demonstrates that while no brand is impervious to attack, those with strong foundations can emerge from even the most significant challenges with their core identity intact.

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office said Sunday. Biden was seen by doctors last week after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule were found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.” Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive. When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasized cancer is much harder to treat than localized cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumors and completely root out the disease. However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden’s case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of hormones. Many political leaders sent Biden their wishes for his recovery. President Donald Trump, a longtime political opponent, posted on social media that he was saddened by the news and “we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.” Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, said on social media that she was keeping him in her family’s “hearts and prayers during this time.” “Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” Harris wrote. The health of Biden, 82, was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. After a calamitous debate performance in June while seeking reelection, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term. Harris became the nominee and lost to Trump, a Republican who returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus. But in recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president. In February 2023, Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. And in November 2021, he had a polyp removed from his colon that was a benign, but potentially pre-cancerous lesion. In 2022, Biden made a “cancer moonshot” one of his administration’s priorities with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice president to address a disease that had killed his older son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015. His father, when announcing the goal to halve the cancer death rate, said this could be an “American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things.” ___ By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press Associated Press writer Jon Fahey in New York contributed to this report.

"My Adderall Store" Spotify caught hosting hundreds of fake podcasts that advertise selling drugs Fake 10-second podcasts are easily found fronts for black markets, reports say. Ashley Belanger – May 16, 2025 4:03 pm | 28 Credit: Andy Teo aka Photocillin | Moment Credit: Andy Teo aka Photocillin | Moment Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more This week, Spotify rushed to remove hundreds of obviously fake podcasts found to be marketing prescription drugs in violation of Spotify's policies and, likely, federal law. On Thursday, Business Insider (BI) reported that Spotify removed 200 podcasts advertising the sale of opioids and other drugs, but that wasn't the end of the scandal. Today, CNN revealed that it easily uncovered dozens more fake podcasts peddling drugs. Some of the podcasts may have raised a red flag for a human moderator—with titles like "My Adderall Store" or "Xtrapharma.com" and episodes titled "Order Codeine Online Safe Pharmacy Louisiana" or "Order Xanax 2 mg Online Big Deal On Christmas Season," CNN reported. But Spotify's auto-detection did not flag the fake podcasts for removal. Some of them remained up for months, CNN reported, which could create trouble for the music streamer at a time when the US government is cracking down on illegal drug sales online. "Multiple teens have died of overdoses from pills bought online," CNN noted, sparking backlash against tech companies. And Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs were specifically raised to stop deadly drugs from bombarding the US, which the president declared a national emergency. BI found that many podcast episodes featured a computerized voice and were under a minute long, while CNN noted some episodes were as short as 10 seconds. Some of them didn't contain any audio at all, BI reported. CNN noted that developments in artificial intelligence have simplified audio and voice generation, as well as the "proliferation of text-to-speech tools,"which have made it easier than ever to quickly create these phony podcasts linking out to scam websites or perhaps legitimate black markets. Neither CNN nor BI could verify if drugs could actually be purchased on the sites linked. Sometimes Spotify's content moderation seemed to work to catch these podcasts, CNN suggested. But Spotify may not be hugely motivated to hunt them all down, the director of the non-profit Tech Transparency Project, Katie Paul, told CNN. Most platforms lack accountability for user-generated content like these fake podcasts, she said, shielded by Section 230. Even if Spotify did pursue a platform-wide crackdown, Paul thinks Spotify may still struggle to stay ahead of the trend, since podcasts seemingly have a "bigger blind spot," as "voice makes it much more difficult for moderation." It's unclear how many Spotify users interacted with the fake podcasts, CNN reported. However, the podcasts were promoted in top results for searches for various prescription drugs that some users may have conducted on the platform in search of legitimate health-related podcasts. Spotify's spokesperson told Ars that all fake podcasts flagged by the outlets were removed—considered violative as either illegal or spam content—but remained vague on whether there was any risk they might pop back up. As the service continues to play whack-a-mole, the spokesperson said, "we are constantly working to detect and remove violating content across our service." Ashley Belanger Senior Policy Reporter Ashley Belanger Senior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 28 Comments

In March, technologies were put through a live demonstration inside an abandoned mine, where the rover and its support equipment ran under field-like conditions.   Image: KIGAM Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. An abandoned mine has reopened its doors–not for miners, but for scientists. The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) is converting a former mine shaft in Taebaek City into a research facility to test and validate technologies for extracting lunar resources. The plan involves partnering with Taebaek City to transform the site into a large-scale demonstration complex for space technologies. Taebaek City was once renowned for its coal production. When coal dominated South Korea’s energy mix, the city supplied roughly 30 percent of the nation’s total output and earned the nickname “black-gold city.”  But as the energy landscape shifted, its mines shut down one by one. This closure led the city to look for new paths to revitalization. Scientists saw potential in these abandoned shafts, redefining them as experimental sites that can simulate lunar-like conditions.  Dr. Kim Kyeong-ja, director of KIGAM’s Space Resources Exploration and Utilization Center, explained why the team selected an abandoned mine for the new research and demonstration facility: “Subsurface regions and caves on the moon are relatively shielded from radiation and meteorite strikes, so they are leading candidates for future lunar bases. An abandoned mine on Earth can replicate those conditions and serve as an ideal proving ground for the technologies we need,” she said. “A coal mine’s perpetual darkness and stable temperature closely match the sunless environment beneath the lunar surface.” Dr. Kim also stressed the cost-effectiveness of reusing existing infrastructure. “If we didn’t have a site like this, we’d have to build a dedicated facility, and that would consume a great deal of energy and resources. Because the essential structures are already in place and can be adapted with minimal modification, we can conserve both funds and materials.” KIGAM’s rover, equipped with its own Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system, is purpose-built to survey and map resources on the Moon. Image: KIGAM Scientists Dream of Mining Lunar Resources Researchers working in the mine will focus on demonstrating a range of technologies for extracting and utilizing resources directly from the moon.  The moon is believed to hold sizable quantities of key resources that are scarce on Earth. A prime example is helium-3, often cited as a potential future clean energy source. Fusion reactions that use deuterium and helium-3 generate virtually no radioactive waste, making helium-3 a potential source of environmentally friendly power. While only trace amounts exist on Earth, the moon is estimated to contain more than a million tons.  A KIGAM official explained, “Helium-3 is lightweight and takes up little space, so a large quantity can be shipped from the moon in a relatively small volume compared with metallic ores, making it highly economical. It is the resource we should prioritize returning to Earth.” Rare-earth elements are another set of resources potentially available on the moon. They are vital to sectors such as semiconductors, displays, and batteries. These elements are unevenly distributed on Earth, yet they are thought to be relatively plentiful on the moon. KIGAM says it is working to develop technologies for locating and extracting rare-earth deposits. Before such minerals can be recovered on the moon, the underlying technologies must be proven in environments that mimic lunar conditions. KIGAM is partnering with multiple domestic institutes to design advanced equipment and methods for lunar exploration and extraction. Last March, the institute demonstrated several key in-situ resource-development devices inside the abandoned Hamtae mine shaft. The event was announced as the world’s first use of an abandoned mine as a testbed for rigorously assessing the feasibility and safety of lunar resource-extraction operations. One highlight was a lunar rover designed to traverse the lunar surface and analyze soil. The vehicle can scout the terrain while simultaneously drilling underground to collect samples. Another KIGAM prototype rover carries a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system. The institute has also engineered a device that heats regolith to extract and collect valuable elements. Image: KIGAM LIBS can identify the composition and concentration of more than 50 elements in real time. It does so by blasting the soil with a powerful laser and analyzing the resulting plasma light.  During a live demo, the rover drove over a mock lunar landscape, collected soil, and used LIBS to analyze its makeup. In the future, LIBS is expected to work alongside a Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (KGRS) to build comprehensive maps of lunar resources. KIGAM has already produced an elemental map of the lunar surface using the KGRS on Danuri, South Korea’s first lunar orbiter. Beyond mining, work is accelerating on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies that would enable astronauts to generate vital supplies on the moon. At the mine, KIGAM demonstrated a resource extractor built to remove essentials such as water or oxygen from lunar regolith. The device concentrates solar energy to heat the soil to extreme temperatures, breaking it down at the molecular level and releasing usable materials. During the test, it detected hydrogen, oxygen, and argon in real time. Dr. Kim noted, “With this technology, we can identify any substance with an atomic weight under 200.” Many other core technologies essential to space resource development will also be showcased at the site. They range from CubeSats that survey minerals and provide communications in low lunar orbit to heat-pipe reactors for continuous probe power and wireless power-transfer systems on the surface. Partners include the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), and Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). However, researchers caution that replicating the lunar environment inside the mine still requires considerable effort. A KIGAM official explained, “We are still on Earth, and the differences start with gravity.” They added, “Our aim is to make the environment even closer to real lunar conditions by installing zero-gravity chambers or vacuum pumps in the center.” KIGAM intends to finish developing roughly 10 major pieces of exploration equipment by 2029 in partnership with government-funded institutes and private firms. Dr. Lee Pyeong-koo, president of KIGAM, said: “I find it profoundly gratifying that at the very place where we once mined the coal that fueled our nation’s economic growth, we are now embarking on research to bring helium-3 from the moon to Earth, potentially as a fusion fuel by 2100.” The story was produced in partnership with our colleagues at Popular Science Korea.